Hair-clipper



Patelnted Dec. 20, |898.

W. H. UNDERWOOD.

HAIR CLIPPER.

(Application filed Aug. 9, 1886.) fno Modem A UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

VALTER H. UNDERIVOOD, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

HAIR-CLIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 616,214, dated December 20, 1898. Application filed August 9, 1886. Serial No. 210.466. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER H. UNDER- WOOD, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hair- Clippers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for clipping hair, wool, and other fibrous material, and pertains especially to that class of such devices which employ or operate with or by a rotary cutter; andthe object of myinvention is generally to provide an effective clipper of simple and durable construction.

The invention aims in part to provide an effective means for constantly maintaining a cutting edge or edges on the knife or cutter while in use'and without requiring the removal of said cutter from its bearings. This feature of the invention consists in providing in a clipping device having a revolving knife or cutter coacting with a toothed plate an abrading-surface, against which the edge or edges of the cutter next the toothed plate revolves.

The invention also consists in the construction and combination of parts and details', all as will be fully specified hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

The accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, illustrate a preferred construction and modifications thereof embodying the various features of the invention, and a full description will now be given of such preferred construction and modifications in connection with said drawings and the features constituting the invention afterward specifically pointed out in the claims.

In said drawings, Figure lis a longitudinal sectional view of my improved clipper. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same, parts being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the clipper. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of the knife. Fig. 5 is a side View of the disk on which the knives are held. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the under side of the clipper, showing the construction of the spring-knife, the device for adjusting the same, and also a modied construction of thev stone or abrader and the devices for securing y and adjusting the same. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of Fig. 6.

y Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the knife shown in Fig. 6.

j The casing A, which forms a convenient handle for the entire device, contains a pneumatic motor suitably constructed and arranged for driving the knife in either direction. Any other suitable motor or driving device which meets the requirements-for instance, an electric motor or a iiexible shaftmay be usedl in place of the pneumatic motor. On the bottom or lower face of the casing A is fastened the toothed ring or comb plate O, which is provided with teeth O on that part where the cutting is to be done. A number of guard-fingers P extend from the casing A over and beyond the teeth O'. The bottom edges of said fingers P, beyond the ends of the teeth O', extend slightly below the back or bottom surface of the revolving knife or cutter. The ends of the lingers are pointed to permit of ready passage through the hair or wool to be clipped. A curved guard-'flange P. is provided at that portion of the combplate which is not toothed and extends, preferably, the same distance below the bottom surface of the revolving knife or cutter as the bottom edges of the fingers P.

The comb-plate O is provided with an abrading-surface, which may be formed in any suitable manner and which may be of any suitable material and of any desired extent. As shown in the drawings, it forms a part only of the surface of the plate O, and in the construction shown in Figs. l to 3 it is formed by an oil-'stone R or other suitable abrading-piece or Sharpener, secured in a recess or opening in the plate O in any suitable manner,`-as in a boX or frame S. The ends of said box'a'r'e supported by screws T, passed through lugs IOO feature of the inventionis elfectually applicable to other forms of hair-clippers-as, for example, one which consists of a toothed ring or comb plate beneath and a rotary knife above or to clippers differing in other respects from that shown.

It will be understood that the abradingsurface may be provided in other ways, as may be found suitable or desirable-was, for example, as shown in Fig. 6, the abrader may consist of a piece Y, held in a recess of the ring O by the screw Z1. The back of the abrader, as shown in Fig. 6, is beveled, and on said bevel the screw d can act, which is held in the lug n of the casing A, by means of which screw d the abrader can be shifted until it is in the proper position in relation to the revolving knife or cutter, and then the said abrader can be locked in position by means of the screw Z). In constructing the clipper the position of the abrader in the plate may be changed at will as long as it is so located that the cutting edges of the knives or cutters can sweep over it during their rotation.

In the construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the knife or cutter- N is mounted on the cutter-head M,which is screwed on the threaded disk L, from which the stem or spindle K extends upward through the bearings in the casing A. On the upper end of the spindle K the cog-wheel J is mounted and communicates the driving power from the motor in the casing A to the knife or cutter. The cutterhead revolves within the comb-plate O. The cutter-head M is provided With one or more dovetailed grooves in its under side for receiving the inner ends of the cutters N, which are U-shaped in cross-section, the sides of the U being inclined from each other, as shown in Fig. 4. The cutters N can be shifted in the direction of their length in their grooves and can then be locked in place by means of the screws N' in the cutter-head M and adjacent to the edges of the grooves in said cutter-head. The knives N are especially adapted for cutting coarse material and can be adjusted to revolve nearer to or farther from the comb-plate O by turning the cutterhead M on the threaded disk L. When in the proper position, the cutter-head M is fastened firmly on the disk L by means of the set-screws WV in the sides of a recess L in the under side of the disk L. As the cutters N are U-shaped in cross-section, they can cut when revolving in either direction.

For clipping Wool and other line material the spring-cutter V (shown in Fig. 8) is preferably substituted for the cutters N. This cutter may consist of a single piece V, of steel, having its ends V' bent and provided with flanges g, on the edges of which the cutting edges are formed, or the said cutting edges may be formed on the cutter V in any other suitable manner. By providing the blades with flanges the blades are strengthened and stiifened at their ends where this is necessary, and thus a small amount of metal can be used in making the blade both light and strong,and thereby also reducing friction. lf desired, the cutting edges of the cutter V may be made U-shaped in cross-section, as in the cutter N, thus admitting of cutting While revolvingin either direction. As shown, the cutter V is held at its middle portion by a screw h to the under side of the disk L, and through apertures z in said cutter V screws fm are screwed into the disk L at either side of the screw 7L. The cutter V is preferably so formed that its spring-tension tends to keep its cutting edges from the face of the combplate O. The screws m act on the cutter V to press the cutting edges of the same against the face of the comb-plate with greater or less force, according to their adjustment, and when the said screws m are loosened the spring-tension of the Vcutter moves its cutting edges a greater or less distance from the face of the plate O. The pressure of the cutting edges on the face of the plate O can thus be adj usted very accurately. The cutting edges may be at an angle to the radial line or radial, as may be desired.

If desired, the spindle vK of the disk L may be so journaled that it is not perpendicular to the plane of the face of the comb-plate, but is so inclined that the extreme cutting edges of the cutter V are in contact with the outer edge of the plate O at that portion,

where it is toothed, thus increasing the eiciency of the clipper for certain kinds of work.

The operation is as follows: Rotary motion is communicated to the cog-wheel J from the motor in the casing A. The cutting part of the clipper is thus revolved, and the cutters N or V rotate over the toothed ring or combplate O and cut off the material projecting between the teeth O as the clipper is advanced-as, for example, over the skin of the animal. The cutting edges of the cutters also pass over the face of the abrader and are thus sharpened and trimmed continually while the tool is in operation.

The face of the abrader is to be advanced as it Wears away, so that its position is always practically the same.

What I claim isl. The combination with a stationary plate provided at its periphery with a series of cutting-teeth and upon its face with an abrading-surface, of a revolving knife or cutter comprising separated arms having sharpened side edges, said side edges being in contact with the plate to coact with the teeth thereof and to be sharpened by their movement over the abrading-surface, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a stationary plate provided at its periphery with a series of cutting-teeth and upon its face with an abrading-surface extending through a portion of the movement of the knife or cutter, of a revolving yielding knife or cutter held into firm contact with the face of the plate and IOO IIO

coacting with the teeth of said plate and sharpened by its movement over said abrading-surface, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a stationary plate having cutting-teeth and provided With an abrading-surface formed bya piece of abrading material held in a recess or opening of said plate, and a revolving knife or cutter comprising separated arms having sharpened side edges coacting with the cutting-teeth and sharpened by its movement over said abrading material, substantially as described.

il. The combination with a stationary toothed plate, of an abrading-piece in a recess or opening in the plate, screws for adjusting the position of the abrading-piece in relation to the plane of the surface of the plate, and a revolving` knife or cutter comprising separated arms having sharpened side edges which rest in contact with the surface of the plate and coact With the teeth thereof, the said edges being sharpened by their movement over the said abrading-piece, substantially as described.

5. rlhe combination with a. stationary toothed plate, of a box or frame, an abrading-piece in said box or frame, screws for adjusting the box or frame in relation to the plane of the surface of the toothed plate, and a revolving yielding knife or cutter held in irm contact with the face of the plate and coactin g With the teeth of said-plate and sharpened by its movement over said abradingpiece, substantially as described.

6. The combination With a stationary toothed plate provided with an abrading-surface extending through a portion of the movement of the knife or cutter, of a revolving yielding knife or cutter having one or more lianged blades coacting with the teeth of said plate and sharpened by its movement over said abrading-surface, substantially as described.

7. In a hair-clipper, the combination with a toothed plate, of a revolving spring-knife, screws for adjusting independently the pressure of each blade of said spring-knife on the surface against which it revolves, and means for revolving the knife, substantially as herein shown and described.

8. The combination With a stationary plate provided at its edge with a series of cuttingteeth and giiard-ingers, of a movable yieldits side with a cutting edge held into close contact with the face of the plate and adapted to coact With the cutting-teeth thereof, and means for imparting a rotary movement to the blade, substantially as described.

10. The combination with a stationary plate provided at its periphery With a segmental series of separated guard-iingers and With a corresponding series of cutting-teeth arranged intermediate the guard-fingers, said fingers extending beyond and belowr the plane of the cutting-teeth, of a yielding blade provided at its side with a cutting edge held into close contact with the face of the plate, and adapted to coact with the cutting-teeth thereof, means for'imparting a rotary movement to the blade, and an abradingsurface arranged in the path of movement of the cutting edge of the blade to make contact therewith during the rotary movement of the blade, substantially as described.

11. The combination with a stationary plate provided at its edge with cutting-teeth and guard-iingers, of a movable yielding cuttingblade having a cutting edge in contact With and adapted to coact With the cutting-teeth, the main body of said blade being out of con tact with the stationary plate, means for moving the blade, and an abrading-surface in the path of movement of the cutting edge of the blade, with lwhich surface the edge of the blade is adapted to make contact in its movement, substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 3d day of August, A. D. 1886. p

WALTER l-I. UNDERWOOD.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, J. H. GUNZ.

rod 

